With my Life
by Black-Fl0wer
Summary: An encounter between Baird and Prescott's guards Lowe and Rivera escalates because Delta's bigmouth owns something that Prescott wants to have back… Based on Coalition's End. Rated T for language.


**Author's Note: **Just a short story about something that came to my mind when I read Coalition's End. I think Traviss hinted at some possible conflicts between Baird and Chairman Prescott's two guards Lowe and Rivera. I really expected that they would clash violently because of the secret data disc... but then there happened nothing.

The question is: What if one of their encounters had escalated? 'Cause the way I see Lowe and Rivera is definitely a merciless one.

Prescott's first sentence is a quote from Coalition's End. I just thought it would be a good start for the story. Moreover I don't own anything; Gears of War and all characters are property of Epic Games.

**With my Life**

"This isn't the first time Lambency's contaminated another species. But I'd still like a tissue sample from the animal for storage in case we ever find a way of analyzing it. You're doing some very useful work, Corporal – I can always use someone technically minded in my personal staff. You might want to consider that," Prescott said.

That was an offer, wasn't it? _Of __course __it __is_, Corporal Damon Baird thought. Chairman Asshole had actually offered him to join him and his two lapdogs Lowe und Rivera. The reason for that was not far to seek.

"I'm afraid I have to deny just considering your offer. I don't give a damn about someone who deals in an underhanded manner," the blonde finally answered.

"Corporal…"

But Baird hadn't finished yet. He initially lifted his finger. "Besides…" Then he pointed the finger at his own upper body protection. "We both know why you're so keen to make me one of your lapdogs. I have something which apparently unsettles you, though I don't know the content yet." Delta's blonde Corporal started to smirk for a moment. "But I'll find out. I promise."

"I'm afraid that you still don't get me, Corporal," Prescott tried to interrupt Baird.

"Oh, of course I do. What else works well than converting me to your column? … You see, we both don't make a good couple." Baird therewith turned away from the Chairman and left his office. This goddamn secret disc! Since Hoffman had handed it to him weeks ago he only had been stuck with trouble. Sleepless nights in which he tried to crack this frigging piece of plastic had passed by… and after all he hadn't been able to crack the disc's damn security code. Prescott really had to be concealing something big.

_Oh __Corporal __Baird, __please __come __and __join __my __staff!__ … __And __gimme __back __my __precious __secret __disc __full __of __shit. __After __that __my __two __idiots __will __take __care __of __you_, Baird thought sarcastically. _Ffft! __You __wish __that, __Prescott. __Kiss __my __ass._

While it was absolutely clear as glass that the Chairman knew to whom Hoffman had given his disc, it was also clear that his two lapdogs were aware of it. They could become a problem some day. Baird remembered several situations in which Lowe as well as Rivera had stared at him in a special way… and it was definitely no pleasant one.

Thinking of the two of them, the Blonde watched his left and right shortly after he had closed Prescott's office door behind him. Lowe and Rivera were just standing there, staring back. With their helmets and armors they looked like twins. _Fucking__stupid__twins._

Rivera was the first who finally broke the silence. "You've rejected the chairman's offer?" he asked.

Oh yes, the way they spoke… They knew about the disc's existence damn well. They knew that it was him, Corporal Damon S. Baird, who owned it at the moment. It was just a matter of time before the blonde would clash with them both severely.

"Since your ears seem to hear everything, you certainly caught the reason. I hate working together with silent assholes." _Okay, __okay_, Baird recorded for himself, _Fenix __is __an __exception. __At __least __he__'__s __somewhat __capable._

"Having a big mouth as ever," Lowe now turned to the blonde man. "You better take care of yourself, Baird."

"Yeah, yeah, fuck you, too," was Baird's answer when he left Prescott's two guards behind. This had been a threat, right? The first one they ever dared to issue. All the times he had met Lowe and Rivera before, the atmosphere may have been tense but they had never tried anything. The blonde sighed, looked like he would spend this evening once again trying to crack Prescott's disc. The sooner he found out what was on it the sooner he might be able to get rid of the chairman's guards.

* * *

><p>"Fuck!" Baird slammed down his fist on the hastily cobbled together table which nearly collapsed. Once more he had gotten an error message while trying to decode. "What fucking kind of security code is this…?" he muttered, ruffling through his short blond hair. <em>You <em>_can__'__t __fail __on __that __now, __Baird. __You __really, __really __can__'__t!_

Suddenly he could hear footsteps and glanced up. Two Onyx Guards – moreover two familiar ones – appeared in the door frame of his 'workshop', walking in slowly. _Lowe __and __Rivera_, Baird thought, irritated. He expected Prescott to follow them any second, but was put right quickly. The two lapdogs were apparently alone.

"Corporal Baird," Lowe began, scouting around in the room. "You have furnished yourself really nice here." And kicked one of the crates filled with tools at the same moment.

Baird's alarm bells started ringing in his head. As quick as lightning he let his computer eject Prescott's disc and dispersed it under his armor again, where he had kept it the entire time over the last few weeks. He then stood up from the toilet bowl he was using as a chair and made sure to keep his eyes glued to the two Gears.

It was Rivera who rounded the desk and finally came to a stand right in front of Baird's computer. At first he said nothing, just eyeballed it carefully. "Chairman Prescott's right when he says that you're technically gifted…"

The blonde lifted one eyebrow. "Okay, so just tell me what you came for. I'm so sorry for not knowing that you'd come. Believe me, if I had, I would now serve you a nice cake." _It__'__s __the __disc. __What __else?_

The only remaining and interesting question left now was if they both paid him a visit by command of Prescott or if they were here on their own initiative. As much as Baird hated that arrogant asshole of Prescott - he didn't think he was capable of doing something like this. He had never done anything about the disc… at least until today.

Lowe smashed down his hands on the provisional desk. "You have something that belongs to Prescott," he said in a serious tone.

Finally they were coming clear. Baird had watched for this to happen for a long time, more precisely since he had gotten this strange feeling of them knowing what was going on for the first time. "Seems so. Otherwise he wouldn't have offered me to work together with you two dense idiots," he answered.

All Lowe did was laugh. "You heard that, Rivera?"

The other guard nodded. "And I'm not assuming that you come out with the disc on your own."

"Thumps up! What an intelligent boy you are, Rivera." Provoking them both, Baird clapped his hands.

And suddenly Rivera swung Baird around and slammed him against one of the walls. "Part with Chairman Prescott's property. Now!" Next to him Lowe came on the scene.

It didn't take long for Delta's Corporal to pull Prescott's guard away from him. "Just one more thing. Are you jerks here by command of Prescott?" he asked.

"No, but I'm sure he will be more than pleased to get back what belongs to him," came the answer from Lowe now.

Baird faked a pitiful expression, only to start grinning one second later. "I guess you have to exert yourselves in that case." In this moment he caught sight of Rivera, coming towards him again quickly and just about punching him. The blonde immediately crouched, grabbed the guard's wrist, twisting it right onto his back. He then kicked the other man in the hollow of his knee, bringing him therewith to the ground.

Only one left was Lowe, who was now charging at him. Baird immediately let up on Rivera, but he was too slow. The Onyx Guard's fist hit his face directly and made him stumble backwards.

"Shit!" the blonde hissed, dropping his gaze a bit when he finally hit against the wall.

At the same moment he raised his head again he stared into the muzzle of a Snub Pistol – Rivera's Snub Pistol. While aiming at him Prescott's guard still tried to relax the wrist that the blonde had twisted. "It's enough now," he then stated. "Hand the disc over, Corporal Baird."

Baird's gaze wandered between the two other Gears. Who would have guessed that they actually would make use of their weapons? _Shit, __Damon! __You __haven__'__t!_

"Come on, bigmouth!" Lowe pressed.

The Corporal weighed the risk. Would they really shoot him? "Ffft! As if you have the balls to pull the trigger. Two failures like you!" Okay, that was now playing on full risk and Baird really hoped he wouldn't regret this.

Rivera only released the safety catch. "If I was you, I wouldn't be too sure about this, Corporal Bigmouth."

"Woah! Hey, hey, hey!" Cole's voice suddenly sounded – and not a second too late. "What's up here? See, this isn't playing nice, guys." The former Thrashball player drew carefully closer to the three men.

Lowe gave his comrade a hand gesture and Rivera nodded, taking down the pistol and stowing it away on his back. "We'll meet again, Corporal Baird," he whispered when he followed the other guard out of the room.

Cole put his hand on Baird's shoulder, gazing after them. "Shit, man! What was that?"

"Nothing," his friend replied and took the data disc out of his armor again. He went back to his computer and inserted it again into the device.

"Damon Baby, are you kiddin' me? They put a gun right to your head! I mean- You know this, don't ya?" Cole came after him.

"All the more reason I have to crack this goddamn disc, Cole. There must be something fucking important on it." Baird murmured. _Shit, __they __really __would __have __killed __me._

"They wanted Prescott's disc?"

"No, Cole. They wanted to have a cup of coffee with me," the blonde remarked sarcastically. "Of course they came for the disc!"

"Fuck, man! You mean they've put a gun to your head by command of Prescott?" Cole couldn't believe it.

"No. Looks like our lovely lapdogs have their own business." _With __me. __Oh __well, __they __can__'__t __stand __me. __Next __meeting __could __become __very __interesting._

"Shit… Good thing the Cole Train was around, baby."

Baird nodded. _Actually __it__'__s __the __second __time __the__ '__Cole __Train__' __saved __my __ass_, he thought.

"No problem, Damon Baby. I know what ya think." The bigger Gear patted his shoulder, exhilarative.

Absentmindedly Baird finally said: "I wouldn't have given them the disc." _Even __if __they __had __shot __me. __I __made __a __promise __to __myself __to __defend __this __disc __with __my __life __and __I __won__'__t __fucking __break __this. _Thoughtfully he stared at the monitor. _What __is __your __secret, __Prescott? _And according to Lowe and Rivera… Baird had definitely underestimated them.

"Damon, promise me you'll watch your back, okay?" Cole insisted on, bringing his friend back to reality.

"Yeah, mom." The blonde tried another security code… and failed once more. "Shit!"


End file.
